Electroplating apparatus



Aug. 10 1926.

F. W. MCCORMICK ELEGTROPLATING APPARATUS Filed Oct 20. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .anonce mu.h\ .n

lnuwov Fra N119 Csovmkk Aug. 10,1926. v 1,595,108

F. W. MCCORMICK ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS Filed 001. 20, 1925 2 sheets-shea 2 Patented Aug. 10, i926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

unc'raorm'rme urmrus.

Application tiled October 20, 1.925. Serial No. 63,576.l

This invention relates to electroplatin apparatus and more particularly to a'nove construction of barrel used in said apparatus. Apparatus of this character usually includes a barrel-like container in which articles which areA to be plated are held, the barrel being rotatable Within a tank containing electrolyte in which the anode is submerged, the cathode being supplied by the articles which are to be plated and which are held within the plating barrel.

A primary object and purpose of the present invention is to make a barrel which includes metal ends connected by metal cross members which serve as contacts and against which the articles within the barrel to be plated come into contact, the frame thus made being equipped with detachable barrel segments, each of which includes an open metal frame with an inner covering o-f p suitable material which is a non-conductor of electricity. All of the metal parts which are submer ed at any time except the contact strips 1n the electrolyte are covered at their outer surfaces at least with a rubber-like composition which is of insulating material and which will not conduct electricity. In this manner a very strong, rigid and durable barrel for electroplating purposes is provided and one which wlll not absorb the electrolyte the same way that plating barrels wholly or partly made of wood do and which will not, by reason of such absorption, in time become conductors of electricity and in this manner destro the effectiveness 4of the plating barrel. oreover plating barrels which include wood in some part of the structure are not very durable or satisfactory, the wood swelling and shrinking as it is exposed to the electrolyte and later more or less dries out, the swelling and shrinking of the -wood being detrimental to its lasting qualities and also to the ease with which sectors of' the barrel may be removed or replaced when thev same v has to be opened for either taking the articles out or placin them within, the same.

lt is a'primary o ject and pur se of the present invention to construct a arrel'having only metal parts suitably insulated and connected together in such a manner that there will not be loss of electric current and which will be particularly durable and eilicient for the purposes for which it is designed. Various other objects and purposes than those stated will appear as understandin which it is mounted, one end of the barre l being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the plating apparatus.

Fig. 3-is aperspective view of the plating barrel, one of the removable segments thereof being removed. A v

Fig. 4 is a fra enta enlarged vertical section throug one side of the barrel illustrating the manner in which the. segments are secured and held in place, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged radial section through one end of the barrel.

Like reference characters refer to like artsin the different figures of the drawhe tank 1 in which theelectrolyte is held has a bottom and vertical sides and ends, being open at its upper side. A shaft 2 extends between the ends f the tank and is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings 3 secured to said ends of the tank. The shaftmay be rotated through the medium of a gear wheel 4 fixed to one end which in turn may be driven by gearing in any suitable manner.

At spaced apart points on this shaft, end members for the plating barrel are mounted, each including a metal hub 5 with spokes 6 radiating therefrom which are integrally connected at their outer ends by a circular rim 7. These end members are located one adjacent each edge of the tank 1 and are secured to the shaft by the set screws 8,- as y best shown in Figs. 1 and 5. |1`hese metal end members are completely covered by a coating 9 of rubber composition which is an insulating material so that at no time does the electrolyte, through which these end' members turn, come into Contact with the metal of said end members. 0n the inner side of each of the end members a circular disk 10 is secured. This disk is of insulating material, in practice being preferably of collodion or a variety of Celluloid.

At the open spaces between the spokes 6 and between 'the hub 5 and rim 7 the members 10 are formed with a large number of small holes made through the same.

A plurality of metal stri s 1 1 are disposed between the rim 7 o the ends and permanently secured thereto by set screws shown at 11. These members are at all times free and exposed to the electrolyte and may 'be of co per or an other suitable material. In t e len h t ereof and at s aced apart points stu s 12 are passed tlirough and extend outwardly from the contact strips 11, passing through a bar 13 located directly against the contact strip 11 and also through a filler bar 14 which lies against the bar 13. Thumb nuts 15 are adapted to screw one' on to the outer end of each of the studs 12, and between said thumb nuts and bars 14 rectangular plates 16 are located, the studs passing freely through these plates, it being evident that on removal of the thumb nuts 15 the plates may be also removed if desired. At the end of each of the bars 14, other studs 12a are located, the same extending outwardly and receiving the thumb nuts 15 with the plates 16 between the bar and thumb nut. These outer bars 14, the plates 16 and the thumb nuts 15 are also completely covered by the rubber composition 9 prevlously described.

The spaces between the spaced apart strips 11 with the bars 13 and 14 over the same are adapted to be filled by barrel segments, all of which are of the same design and structure. Each of said segments includes a metal frame having spaced apart sides 17 and curved ends 18 connecting the sides 17 at their ends with an intermediate bar 19 between and paralleling the sides 17. On the inner side of this open frame a curved segment 20 of the same material as the parts 10 previously described is located, it likewise being provided with a large number of small holes through it in the open spaces left between the bars 17 and 19. At each of its edges and at its inner side, portions are cut away from the part 20 leaving longitudinal recesses 21 as shown in Fig. 3. This segment 20 is attached to the under side of the frame by means of screws 12 which pass through the member 20 and through the bar 19, suitable thumb nuts 23 threading on to their outer ends. The bars 17 and 19 and the ends 18 of this frame, as well as nuts 23, are also completely covered by the insulating composition 9 previously described.

One wire 24 of an electric circuit is connected with one of the bearings 3 of the shaft 2. An arc-shaped hanger rod 25 of metal is attached at one end to the front side of the tank and extends downwardly and to the rear and thence upwardly around and spaced from the lower side of the plating barrel, on which a plurality of metal rings or doughnuts 26 are suspended. VThese rings 26 form. the anode material for the plating apparatus. The rear upper end of the rod 25 is .attached to a fixture 27 mounted on a cross rod 27* which extends between the ends of the tank, being supported at its ends in suitable brackets to one of which the other wire 28 of the electric circuit is connected.

The segments for completing the barrel are attached to the frame comprising the ends and connecting bars 11, 13 and 14 between them by lacing .said segments against the edges o? the strips 11, the edges of said strips being received in said recesses 21, then turning the plates 16 so that the ends pass over the adjacent edges of the bars 17, and tightening the nuts 15. Any one of these se ments may be readily removed for placing articles to be plated within the barrel or removing the same therefrom or, if any one of the segments becomes damaged or if it is otherwise necessary or desirable to replace it by a new one, it can be readily done. The plating with this apparatus is carried on the same way as with any other barrel, that is, by placinfv the articles to be plated within the barrel, closing the same and rotating the barrel in the electrolyte with the electric current passing through the wire 28 and thence from the anode members 26 through the electrolyte to the strips 11 and thence through the ends 5 and shaft 2, bearing 3 and return wire 24. The articles within 'the barrel come into intimate contact with the contact strips 11 and are plated in the usual manner.

On the inner side of each end of the barrel a bar 29 is secured, as shown in Fig. 2, and these bars are adapted to detachably hold a plate 3() which is releasably retained in place by yielding fingers 31. This plate 30 1s not within the barrel during the time that the plating operation is being carried out. When it has been completed one of the segments is removed and the plate 30 put in place and the barrel rotated'. so as to bring the articles between said plate and the inner side of the barrel and it is then rotated to carry said articles to delivery position, as shown in Fig. 2, wherein the plate inclines downwardly :.-and outwardly. The articles may be delivered to a chute 32 having links 33 attached thereto which are pivotally connected to brackets 34 mounted on the front side of the tank 1. This chute is placed against the barrel adjacent the openmg left i); removal of one of the segments receives t e articles and conducts them to any suitable container and when not in use it may be moved out of the way in a downward direction.

The construction described has proved very practical and etlicient. Making the plating barrel of metal parts is a feature of major importance in this connection, obviating as it does wood or like insulating material which has previously been generlon ally used for this purpose. The covering of these metal parts, whichv are periodically submerged in the electrolyte, with insulating material is a novel feature of the invention and one which makes it possible to use metal in the places where before it has not been possible to use. Thedurability of the bar'- rel is obvious. Apparatus of this character receives severe usage and electroplating barrels previously have been of very short life, but with the present invention the durability and life of the barrel is greatly enhance Moreover, there being no shrinking or swelling of the different parts of the barrel, it is also easy to remo-ve or replace the segments either when articles are being placed in the barrel or taken therefrom or when a segment is to be replaced by a new one, and there are no tight joints and difliculties in fitting the parts into place. All of these features combine to make the invention one of value. The invention is dcined in the appended claims and is to be considered as comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their Scope.

l claim:

l. A plating barrel comprising 'a horizontall mounted shaft, metal end members securedY to said shaft in spaced apart relation, metal contact members connecting the ends and disposed in spaced apart relation to 'each other around said ends, and a plurality oi seo'ments detachably connected to and disposed between adjacent contact members, each of said segments comprising an open metal frame and a lining of non-conducting material at the inner side of the frame, means for detachably connecting said segments in place, and electric insulation means covering the surfaces of said ends, metal frames of the segments and the outer surfaces or the means used to detachably connect the segments in place, substantially as described.

2. A plating barrel comprising a hori-v `zontally positioned and rotatably mounted shaft, metal end members of circular outline attached to the shaft at spaced apart points thereon, metal contact bars disposed between and connected at their ends to said end members in spaced apart relation from each other around said ends, a thin circular' disk of non-conducting material located against the inner side of each end member, barrel segments each comprising an open frame with a lining of non-conducting material at the inner side thereof disposed between adjacent contact members to complete the barrel, means for detachably securing said segments in place, each of said disks and each of the linings of said segments having a plurality of openings made therethrough, and a covering of insulating material for the exposed portions of said end members, frames of the segments and connecting means used to detachably conneet the same in place.

3. In combination with a tank adapted to contain electrolyte and having an open u per side, of a shaft horizontally disposed a ve and between opposite ends of the tank, means for rotatably mounting said 1shaft,

. metal end members each comprisinga hub,

radially extending spokes and a rim joining the outer ends of said spokes located in spaced apart relation on said shaft, means for securing said end members to the shaft, metal contact barsv located between and connected at their ends to the rims of said end members, said contact bars being space apart around the end members, a disk of insulating material located against the inner side of each of said end members, said disks being formed with a plurality of openings through them in the spaces between said spokes of the end members, segments for completing the barrel detachably connected to and disposed between adjacent contact bars, each of said segments comprising an' outer open metal frame and an inner lining of non-conducting material having a plurality of openings through it at the openings in said frames, and a covering of insulating material over the exposed portions of said end members and frames which, inthe rotation of the barrel, are immersed in the electrolyte in said tank, substantially as described. v

e. A plating barrel comprising a horizon:

tal rotatably mounted shaft, end members attached thereto, contact bars of metal disposed between and attached at their ends to said end members and spaced apart from each other around the same, segments detachably mounted between adjacent contact bars, means for detachably securing said segments in place, said end members and said segments including metal parts, and an insulating coating covering exposed portions of said end members and metal parts of said segments, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. An electroplating barrel including a central metal shaft, metal ends attached thereto, metal contact bars connecting the ends and segments between the bars including metal parts for completing the barrel, said barrel being adapted to be rotated in an electrolyte, and an insulation covering for exposed portions of said metal ends and the metal parts or' the segments which are immersed in the electrolyte.

6. n combination, a tank adapted to contain electrolyte, a plating barrel mounted across the tank including a central shaft rotatably mounted, metal ends secured to said shaft in spaced apart relation, a plurality ofspaced apart metal contact members connected to said ends, and a plurality of segments each including a metal frame disposed deo between the contact bars for completing the barre1,`an anode located Within the tank underneath said barrel, an electric connection to one end of said anode, a second electric connection with the shaft, and an insulation covering for exposed portions of the metal ends and metal parts of said segments, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. A plating barrel comprising a horizontal shaft, end members of metal secured to the shaft, a plurality of spaced apart contact bars disposed between and aroundxthe end members and connected at their ends to said end members, filler bars disposed at the outer side of each of the contact bars, studs passing through the Contact bars and liller bars, segments each comprising an open metal frame, and a lining of insulating material at the inner side of the frame disposed between adjacent contact bars, the edges of the lining passing over projecting edges of the contact bars, retaining plates rotatably mounted one on each stud and adapted to be moved to a position so as to extend over adjacent edge vortions of the I' frames of the segments, an nuts threaded on to the projecting ends of Said studs,'sub stantially as described. i

8. An electroplating barrel including a central shaft, metal ends attached thereto,

segments disposed between the ends includmetal parts of said segments which areimmersed at times in the electrolyte.

9. A plating barrel comprisin a rotatable shaft, end members' attached t ereto, segments detachably mounted between said end members, means for detachably securing said segments in place, said end members and segments including metal parts', and an insulating coating covering exposed portions of said end members and metal parts of the segments, substantially as and for the purposes described In testimony whereof I ailix my si nature.

FRED W. MCCOR CK. 

